


An Ill-Advised Romance

by Edgeanescence



Category: Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Series (Video Games), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Character Study, F/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edgeanescence/pseuds/Edgeanescence
Summary: Valentine's was always a good holiday for couples, right?
Relationships: Claude/Catalina
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	An Ill-Advised Romance

Claude thought highly of Catalina.

Sure, she could be kind of forceful and aggressive at times, but Claude genuinely believed that she could be a good woman. She always pecked his cheek when he least expected it and was more than willing to be sweet on him. In comparison to others, Catalina treated Claude with the utmost respect. It felt like she genuinely cared about Claude, something that he rarely thought other people did.

He'd known Catalina for a few months at this point, and Valentine's Day was rapidly approaching. Catalina seemed more concerned in their trek to Liberty City then the romantic holiday, in contrast to Claude, who had it weighing on his mind. It tied him down to the point it was all he could think of; every thought contaminated with the idea of gifts or activities. He desired the day to be extraordinary to the both of them, and for Catalina to be content.

So here he was, standing in the middle of a pharmacy's candy aisle, eyes gliding over the merchandise. The heart-shaped boxes caught his attention, even if they seemed extremely stereotypical. Claude wanted something special, something that stood out from the crowd, but given Catalina's disregard for the holiday, something more on the nose might be better.

The man pursed his lips, picking up each box and scanning over the contents listed. Claude still had no idea what Catalina's candy preference was, even after months of knowing her. She didn't seem to have any allergies to his knowledge, so Claude paid no mind to allergy warnings. He felt strangely gravitated towards the box with a mix of nuts, caramels, and cremes, picking it up and adding it to his basket. 

Said basket contained a variety of goodies, from candles to candy. Claude still wasn't entirely sure how Valentine's even worked as he had always been single up until recently. All the man had to go off of were films and TV shows, which weren't exactly the most accurate things in the world. Yet, armed with the vague knowledge he had, Claude still tried. 

He went up the counter, rang up all of his items, paid, and drove back to the motel.

* * *

Claude had finished decorating the place to his liking. The room wasn't the most extravagant thing, but it pulled off the romance vibe well, at least to Claude. A faint glow illuminated the room, given off by the petite bedside candles. The chocolates resided on the bed, while the dinner Claude splurged on sat on a tray beside it. He was standing a few feet away from the door, anxiously expecting Catalina to come back.

A nervous smile came to his features as the door opened, revealing his girlfriend. Claude pulled the flowers out from behind his back, awkwardly holding it out to her. A faint blush decorated his cheeks as he stared at the woman.

Nothing could have prepared him for what was about to happen.

Catalina, in contrast, seemed stunned by the gesture. Rather than barging in, the woman stood in place, processing her surroundings. Her brain quickly hit resume, however, and Catalina came thundering inside. "What the fuck is all of _this_?" She interrogated, gesturing wildly to not only the flowers but the food and candles as well. 

The grin fell off of Claude's face, replaced with a surprised frown. He watched as Catalina seized the flowers out of his hands with a rough movement. What did he do wrong? Was this not how Valentine's Day was supposed to go? Claude stared at her for a moment more before hanging his head in shame.

Catalina promptly tossed out the roses, marching over to the bed and looking at the food. She grabbed the box of chocolates, seemingly curious over its contents. Suddenly her face turned even sourer, grimacing at what she read. "You stupid man! You knew full well that I hate nuts, _especially_ almonds." The box quickly joined the flowers in the garbage. 

Never once did Claude move from his position, his embarrassment ensnared him, holding him prisoner on the spot. Never once did he try to recall an incident of Catalina hating almonds, or any nut for that matter. Instead, his head nodded with everything Catalina had to say, supporting her conviction. He was an idiot for buying that box, he could have ignored nutty candies, but he didn't.

Catalina didn't seem to care, as she continued on her rampage of criticism. She picked up with scrutinizing the meal Claude had purchased, which was from some upscale restaurant. "And why in the hell did you buy this shit? Did the message 'we don't want to waste money' not make it through your thick skull? Do I need to beat the message into it to make sure it sticks?" A passionate fire was burning in Catalina's eyes, daring Claude to speak to her.

Claude looked up because of that, eyes wide with fear. He didn't want to be beaten for this, even if he did deserve it. Nevertheless, Claude held his tongue, as per usual. He took a shaky breath and turned his gaze away once more.

Catalina, fed up with everything, huffed. Her hands dug into the bag of food, searching for its edible contents. A container got pulled out, filled with chicken wings. She shot a glare at Claude, upset with the decision to buy chicken of all things. "And you even wasted money on something mediocre too! At least try to get something worth your money if you're going to waste it like that. You dumb fucking man!"

The plastic box suddenly hit Claude's shoulder, spilling its contents onto the floor. He stood there numbly, staring at the sauce that slowly spread across the carpet, staining it. His expression was rather blank, complementing the rigid posture he had.

Catalina, unsatisfied with his reaction, snarled at him one last time. "Clean this shit up in a timely manner. We're leaving soon." With that, the woman stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Stillness swamped the room after that; not a single thing dared to move. Claude was still as stiff as a statue, drowning in thought. His mind was in chaos, going from one negative idea to the next, propagating the seeds of self-doubt. Certainty descended on one concept in particular, though.

Never do anything like this ever again.


End file.
